Knitting machine



R. H. LAWSO KNITTING MACH Filed July '7 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN YEN TOR RQBEET H LAWS'OM By TIM ATTy.

July 18, 1933. R. H. LAWSON KNITTING MACHINE ATTY- N. am.

[N VENTDIE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ROBERT H Laws'ozg WW y 8, 1933. R. H. LAWSON 1,918,762

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 7 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 In YENT'aR I R0 5 512 T H. LAWSMQ y 1933. R. H. LAWSON 1,918,762

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 7, 1930 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I INVENTOE "R 0 82127 H LAw Mc By .Arry- July 18, 1933. R. H. LAWSON I KNITTING MACH'INE Filed July 7, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INYE'N'TOR P015221 H. LAwsoN, y FM Patented July 18, 1933- UNITED STATES PATENTTOFFICE aonnn'r n. Lawson, or rawrucxm, axiom: ISLAND, assmnon 1:0 mm

comamr, or 011mm mans, axons ISLAND, a coaronarrou or masons- BETTS Application filed July 7,

This invention relates to so-called Lamb or Burson types of knitting machines provided with two opposed banksof needles each mounted in a flat needle bed although the invention is not necessaril and in all respects limited to knittingmacl iines provided with two beds or sets of needles or to knitting machines provided with straight or flat needle beds.

In the drawings: I

Fig. 1 is a view in end elevation showing a machine of the Burson type with the present improvements applied;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of themachine shown in Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through oneneedle bed andpattern drum for controlling the needles and showing one needle in a neutral position;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 4-4, Fig. 3, but omitting the pattern drum;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but showing a fragment only of the pattern drum and a needle'in a lowered, active position;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showin a needle in a raised, active position;

Fig. 7 is a view of a pattern drum slightly modified with respect to the drum shown in Fi .3;

ig. 8 is a plan view showing a single pattern drum and gears for driving the independent sections thereof; and

Fig. 9 is a' view partly in section showing the driving connections between the gears, Fig. 8, and the sections of the drum which sections are driven or advanced thereby.

' Referring specifically'to Figs. 1, 2, 8 and 9 of the accompanying drawings the frame of the machine includes two uprightplates or supports 1 which act as bearings for two shafts 2 and 3. Mounted upon the shafts 2 and 3 are drums4 and '5 which consist of inde ndent sections 6, 7, 8, 9 and 6', 7', 8, 9' in ependently drivenor advanced by means of gears 10, 11', 12, 13 and 10', 11, 12, 13 respectively. The section 6 and gear 10 (Fig. 9) are made fast to an outer sleeve 14 by means of set screws 15 and 16. The drum section 7 is connected to its gear 11 by means 'xm'r'rme mounts 1030. Serial llo. 406,001.

of an inner sleeve 17 and set screws18 and 19 res ectively connecting the drum section 7 an gear 11 to the said sleeve 17 which sleeve 17 passes through and serves as a bearing for the outer sleeve '14. Sleeve 17 surrounds and is. supported, for turning movements, by

shaft 2 which provides a bearingtherefor. Set screws 20 and 21 respectively connect the drum section 8 and gear 12 to the shaft 2 which serves as a bearing for a sleeve 22 to which sleeve the drum section 9 and its gear 13 are connected by meansv of set screws 23' and 24: respectively. I

The described connections between the several drum sections and their gears permit each drum section to be advanced by their gears independently of advancing movements which may be imparted to others of the drum sections. The gears 10, 11, 12 and I 13 are independently driven in any suitable manner.

The drum sections 6,, 7, 8 and 9 are provided with hubs 25, 26, 27 and 28 through which the before mentioned set screws 15, 18, 20 and 23 pass and by means of which the drum sections are connected to the shaft 1 2 or sleeves 14, 17 and 22. Spacing collar 29 surrounds the sleeve 14 betweenthe drum section 6 and gear 10 while a corresponding collar 30 surrounds the sleeve 22 between the drum section 9 and gear 13.

Formed integrally with the hubs are spokes or arms 31 (Fig. 3) and connected to or formed integrally with the free ends of the arms are heads 32. The outer or eripheral surfaces 33 of the heads 32 provi eseats or radial supports for thin sheet metal or other needle selecting strips 34, 35. Although any notched as at 41 to seat upon the walls which define andfare between the slots 39. The

spacing bars are received within longitudinally extending grooves 42 provided in the outer faces of additional, radially extending supporting members 43 integrally or otherwise connected to the hubs, such as 25 of the drum sections. In order to retain the feet 37, 38 of the strips 34, 35 seated within the slots, flanged plates 44, 45 are provided, the flanges 46, 47 of which are received within slots or grooves 48, 49 extending longitudinally of .the members 43. At their other ends theplates 44, 45 are provided with inwardly extending flanges 50, 51 received within notches or grooves provided in the strips 34, 35. Intermediate the ends of the plates 44, 45 holes areprovided and passing therethrough and through holes in the 'members 43 are bolts 52, the outer ends of which project through the plates 44, 45 anda're there provided with heads 53 and nuts 54 to retain the plates 44, 45 in clamping engagement with the members 43 and the strips 34, 35 seated in position upon the peripheral or outer faces'33 of the heads 32.

As hereinbefore stated two circularly arranged series of' strips 34, 35 are provided for each lever 36 and consequently each of the strips 34, 35 serves to space and laterally support the adjacent strips. The levers 36 are provided with upwardly extending arms 55 for a'purpose hereinafter to be more fully described and other arms 56, 57 which extend laterally from each side of a rod 58, carried by the machine frame, upon which the levers 36 are supported for rocking movements. Each arm 56 is provided with a downwardly extending toe 59 which seats upon the peripheraledge or surface of a strip 35 while each arm 57 is likewise provided with a do wardly extending toe 60 which latter, ho ever, is so shaped as to be spaced radiall somewhat from the peripheral edge or surfhceof the strips 35 at all times. Projecting laterally from the toe 60 is a lug or toe 61 which seats upon the peripheral edge or surface of a strip 34.

Although the lugs 59 and 60 act as lateral spacing members for the strips 34 which extend radially outward a distance beyond 'the companion strips 35, additional spacing means may be rovidedconsistin'g of plates 62 and 63 whic extend transversely of the drum sections and are rigidly connected to the frame of the machine as by screws 64. The transversely'extending members 62 and 63 are provided withslots as shown which slots provide walls 65 that extend between the strips 34. and serve additionally to prevent the latter from sidewise or lateral displacement,

The strips 35 are provided with stepped formations upon which the toe 59 of each lever'36 seats and the strips 34 are likewise provided with correspondin formations upon which the lug 61 of each ever 36 seats. Any desired number of steps may be utilized but as herein disclosed, attention being particularly directed to Figs. 3, 5 and 6, five such steps or elevations 66, 67, 68, 69 and 70 are or may be provided upon the strips 35 and corresponding steps or elevations 71, 72, 73, 74 and 75 are or may be provided upon the periphery of each strip 34. The number and relative disposition of the mentioned steps time and control the operations of the needles as will be'described.

In Figs. 3, 5 and 6 the arm 55 of a lever 36 is shown as connected to a more or less semicircular shaped plate 76 by means of a ball and socket connection 77. Each plate 76 is connected as described to a lever 36 and is 'pivotally mounted upon a pin 78 extending longitudinally of the needle bed. The pin 78 permits the plates 76 to be rocked, when their corresponding levers 36 are rocked, in a manner hereinafter to be more fully described. Opposite the pins 78 theplatcs 76 are provided with overhanging fingers 79 between which and the body of the plates 76 slots 80 are provided and within the slots 80 are seated for rocking and sliding movements jacks-81 which although termed jacks are connected to the usual needles (not shown) used in machines of the Lamb or Burson type, by means of hooks 82 engaging over butts formed on the ends of the needles. The socalled jacks 81 therefore are, in effect, part of the needles and will be hereinafter referred to as needles or as constituting part of the same. Intermediate their ends the needles 81 are provided with butts 83 extending upwardly and other butts '84 extending downwardly and projecting from the other side or edge of the needles 81. The butts 83, 84 of the needles 81 are adapted to be engaged and actuated, as selected, by cam carrying slides 85 and 86 duplicated at 85, 86 for controlling the needles ofthe other needle bank as shown in Fig. 2. The specific construction of the cam slides themselves forms no necessary part of the present invention other than that the plurality of cam slides or carriers selectively control the needles 81 in a manner hereinafter tobe more fully described and as dictated by the cooperative action of pattern strips 34, 35, levers 36 and plates 76.

Fig. 3 shows a needle 81in an inactive, intermediate position in which position the butts 83, 84 are not in the path of the advancing cams carried by the cam carriers 85, 86, (F 2). The upper cam carrier 85 is adapted to control the movements of such of the needles 81 as are moved to the intermediate, dotted line position and upper full line position of Fig. 6 while the lower cam caror the extreme lower, full line position of said figure.

During the knitting of the non-fashioned portion of the stocking leg, all of the needles may be moved either to the intermediate, dotted line position shown in Fig. 5 or to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 6 in which positions the cam carriers 85 and 86 as the positioned butts 83 or 84 but not to a position to miss the butt of the single needle referred to which butt, during the mentioned widening course, is moved to the full line position shown in Fig. 5 or to that of Fig. 6. Although obviously the single widening needles may be controlled by cams mounted upon the cam carriers 85, 85 or thelower cam carriers 86, 86, preferably. the upper cam carriers 85 and 85 are utilized for this urpose in which case it is not necessary t at the other or lower cam carriers 86, 86 be provided with a movable center cam and as a consequence thereof the needles 81 may be moved to the intermediate, dotted line position of Fig. 5 but not necessarily to the full line position thereof.

Although the order may be reversed or the upper and lower cam carriers be controlled otherwise, preferably, the instep or upper half of the foot of the stocking is knit by controlling the needles 81 through the lower cam carriers 86 and 86 while allthe widening, including the widening of the toe, heel and leg and all of the plain knitting of the non-fashioned portions of the ankle and leg are-knit by controlling the needles through the upper cam carriers 85 and 85'.

In Fig. 3 the drum section 6 is shown as having been advanced, in the direction of the arrow, to such a position that a level or step 68 provided upon a strip or pattern element 35 is in engagement with the toe 59 of 1 the jack lever 36 and the corresponding needle 81 positioned at an intermediate, inactive level Where its butts 83, 84 are not in a position to be actuated by either the upper or by the lower cam carrier. At the same time the toe or lateral lug 61 of a jack lever 36 is shown as resting upon an intermediate level orlseat 73 and as a drum section, such as the drum section 6, advances in a counter-clock wise direction as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 3, a vertical or other wall se arating the steps 66-76 raises lug 59 and ti ts the lever vances in the direction of the arrow,

36; while the lug 61, as the drum section admerely drops off one seat or level to another. On the other hand when a needle 81 is moved froman upper position, such as that shown in Fig. 6, a lug61- restin as shown upon the lowermost seat 71 is, ast e drum section advances-in a clockwise direction indicated by the arrow, raised and the lever 36istilted as the'toe 59 of a lever 36 drops from the seat or level onto the level 69.

Spacing the jack supporting lates 76 and levers 36 are plates 87 supported and carried by the rods 58, 58' and 78, 78' which rods mounted cam carrying bars 85, 86, 86

The'end plates 88, '88 and cam bar supporting plates 89, 89 are mounted upon or carried by bars 90, 90 which are made fast to the side plates 1 of the machine frame.

As hereinbefore described the drum 5 is 'a duplicate of the drum 4 and is made up of independent drum sections 6', 7', 8', 9' corresponding to and directly opposite sections 6, 7, 8, 9 of the drum 4. The drum sections 6', 7 8 and 9 are connected to their respective driving gears in the same manner as the drum sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 are con nected to their res ective driving gears as shown in Fig. 9. with the gears 10, 11, 12 and 13 are ears '10, 11, 12 and 13 which'latter gears rive or advance the corresponding drum sections 6, 7, 8' and 9'. Furthermore the elements hereinbefore described as associated with and controlling the "needle movements of the needles, the active and inactive positions of which are determined by drum 1, are duplicated by elements associated with and controlling the needle movements of 'the needles,

the active and inactive positions of which are determined by drum 5, which duplicated elements or some of" them are indicated by correspondin prime reference. numerals.

In Fig. is discloseda somewhat modified construction of drum for supporting the pattern plates 34, 35. The drum section shown therein is modified with respect to the drum shown in Fig. 3 to the extent that the heads 91 corresponding to the heads32 of Fig. 3, are not integral with the hub of the drum as they are in Fig. 3 but'are separate therefrom and maintained in adjustable engagement with the inner ed es of the pattern plates 34, 35 by means of in threaded engagement with the hub of the drum 9 at 93 and at their other ends 94 in posite to and meshing Its 92 at one end in theheads 91. Heads 96 carrie others, and likewise the gears 1 erally, or lengt contact with cup-shaped recesses 95 rovided by the bolts 92 serve to permit radial adjustment of the heads91 and lock nuts 97 carried by the bolts 92 frictionally engage bosses 98 carried by the drum to prevent unintentional turning of bolts 92.

Each of the gears 10, 11, 12 and 13 and consequently their drum sections 6, 7, 8 and 9 may be moved circumferentially in either direction of rotation independently of the -11', 12 and 13 and drum: sections 6', 7', 8 and 9' are movable independently. Furthermore although the gears 10, 11, 12 and 13 as shown are respectively in mesh with the gears 10, .11, 12 and 13 the sets of gears may be independently driven. v

The members 33 and 34 determine the changes in the pattern of the fabric knit by.

the needles, "i. e., they selectively determine, from course to course, the active and inactive positions of the several needles whereby any desired pattern change may be effected whether for the purpose of changing the design or for fashioning or otherwise forming thestockingor other fabric, and for that purpose the pattern controlling elements are uniformly spaced one from another, i. e., the pattern controlling-elements 33 are substantially equally spaced one from another latwise of the drum and the companion pattern controllin elements 34 are likewise substantially equa ly spaced one from another. 1 v The construction hereinbefore described permits the pattern controlling elements 34, 35 to be so set in the drums that the sections thereof may be moved or advanced freely although the said drum sections abut one another. Furthermore each element 34, 35 may be readily removed from its seat in a drum section without disturbing the adjacent pattern elements. In, addition to the advantages inherentin the present construction and as hereinbefore recited the pattern elements 34, 35 may be and often are slightly undersize which is rendered possible by the provision of the lateral supports for the said elements which lateral supports consist of the walls 65 and companion pattern elements.

Although in the foregoing description the parts and combinations thereof have been specifically described, the invention is not limited to such specific constructions except means for positioning the needles so that the needles or some 0 them will be in such a position that the butts extending in one direction may be engaged by cams, or in such a position that the other mentioned butts may be engaged by cams, or for positionin some at least of the needles where they wil tern controlling elements removably seated upon the walls defining the aforesaid slots.

3. A pattern drum having pattern controlling elements removably mounted thereon, slotted means provided upon the drum, some of the pattern controlling elements provided with means removably seated within the slots of the aforesaid means and others of the pattern controlling elements removably seated upon the walls defining the aforesaid slots, other means adapted removably to retain the pattern controlling elements in position.

4. A pattern drum provided with independently movable sections, and means for independently moving the sections in either of two directions.

5. A pattern drum provided with independently movable sections, means for independently advancing the sections, a shaft and sleeves each independently driven and connected to a drum section whereby the latter are advanced independently of the other sections, in combination with cam-formations carried by the pattern drum and needles, each needle being individually controlled by the said cam formations.

6. -A pattern drum composed of independently movable sections, a. centrally disposed shaft connected to one of the sections, sleeves rotatably mounted upon the said shaft and connected to others of said sections, driving means consisting of a plurality of gears, the shaft and sleeves each independently connected to and driven by a gear whereby the drum sections to which the shaft and sleeves are connected are advanced independently of the other sections.

7 A pattern drum provided with independently movable sections, each of said sections adapted to be moved independently of the others and in either of two directions.

8. A pattern drum composed of independently movable and abutting sections, and a plurality of laterally spaced pattern controlling elements mounted in each drum section.

ROBERT H. LAWSON. 

